ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — A woman is charged after she allegedly left her daughter alone with a mall security guard at the St. Louis Galleria.
According to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 31-year-old Vivian Wilson was arrested and charged Friday with endangering the welfare of a child and resisting arrest.
According to documents from a Richmond Heights police investigation, a mall security guard called police when the guard claimed a woman had left her 7-year-old daughter with the guard for 20-25 minutes, after being told she needed to keep her daughter in her custody at all times when inside the mall.
The woman was found on video in Dillard's. With the assistance of security, a Richmond Heights police officer made contact with the woman to tell her she had a warrant for her arrest, and that she was being detained.
The officer requested backup when the woman refused to listen to police. The woman began yelling at police when more officers arrived and attempted to walk away, despite being told to stay where she was. Police said they told the woman she was being detained and attempted to bring her into custody.
The woman then grabbed her daughter and refused to let go of her. The woman started kicking at officers who told her to let go of the child, while still refusing to let go, the documents said.
Officers attempted to pry the woman's arms off the girl in order to free her, when the woman pulled away and allegedly fell on her daughter's leg, injuring the girl.
The woman was eventually separated from her daughter, who was extremely distraught during the situation, police said.
Police said the woman fought officers until she was able to be subdued and arrested.
The 7-year-old daughter was released into her aunt's custody, the prosecuting attorney's office said.
